The Perfect Gift
During the holidays, I can get caught up in buying gifts. I work hard to make sure I have a gift for every friend and family member. I keep a secret list of all the presents I have bought for everyone and another secret envelope full of receipts for all the things that will probably need to be returned. Once the gifts are purchased, I then start a tally count process making sure everyone has the same number of gifts to unwrap, all while making sure I have spent the same amount on everyone. Finally, the wrapping paper selection begins. This year I have decided to color coordinate wrapping paper by person. Thomas’s gift wrap has a black theme and Sedonia’s has a red theme. Anyone else with me? Or, do I stand alone in the gift-giving madness I create around Christmas?
Philippians 4:17 reads:
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
The people of Philippi sent Paul a gift while he was in prison, and Philippians 4:17 is his written response. Even while sitting in prison, Paul isn’t interested in physical or monetary gifts. He is focused on the gift of eternity for the people of Philippi.
Wait, what? I would think gifts would be the perfect thing for someone in prison. Prisoners have nothing. It would seem a nicely wrapped gift would be more than welcome! Paul is specifically saying that more than the gift they sent, he seeks for them the rewards that await them in heaven.
Do you have someone thinking more about your eternity than your Christmas gift? Are you thinking more about your children’s eternity than their perfect gift this Christmas season?
When we focus on giving the perfect tangible gift, we just might be overlooking the more perfect gift already offered up through the birth of Jesus Christ.
As parents, one of our most important responsibilities is making sure our children are experiencing Christmas the way it was intended. But, if you are like me, it is so easy to get caught up in the gifts, the decorations, the gatherings, and all the ways Christmas has been transformed into a commercial experience.
This Christmas, instead of trying to create the perfect Christmas experience where everyone is happy and fulfilled, let’s create an experience that is uncomfortable enough to shift the focus back on Christ. I’m not saying we should completely derail our Christmas plans. I’m saying let’s jump off the run-away train that has become the holiday season, and take a moment to allow our kids to see Christmas through a different, more meaningful lens. A perspective that will last far beyond the unwrapping of presents and the perfectly decorated home. Here are some simple ways to take back control of our family’s Christmas experience.
Plan a long quiet walk with our kids and talk about the best gift they have ever received and then compare it to the real best gift of eternity.
Intentionally decline a holiday gathering, and instead, stay home together as a family and pray in gratitude for the gift of Jesus Christ and the gift of eternity his life gives us. Write letters to Jesus, thanking him. Color pictures for Jesus. Talk about what that night must have felt like for Mary and Joseph.
Go visit a barn or a farm, or just sit outside for an extended period of time, to fully understand the lack of comfort and modern convenience that Jesus was born into.
Instead of racing around picking up last-minute gifts, donate a gift of money, time, or service in honor of the person you are shopping for.
Encourage your child to give something they really want to someone else who would appreciate it just as much.
I firmly believe we experience our biggest growth in moments of discomfort. So, this year, instead of working so hard to create a perfect Christmas, let’s work at creating an uncomfortable Christmas, solely for the purpose of fulfilling our responsibility of making sure our children truly understand the powerful gift they received over two thousand years ago on Christmas. There is no physical gift we can give that can compare. Let’s make sure the people in our lives know and experience Christmas as it was truly intended, and they understand we are more concerned with their gift of eternity than any gift that fits under our tree.
God, thank you. Thank you for your Son. Thank you for creating the first uncomfortable Christmas over two thousand years ago. Please help us, as parents, to teach and guide our children to fully understand that Christmas isn’t about the perfectly wrapped present under the tree this year, but the perfect gift they received all those years ago when Jesus was born.